Her Story
About SuAnne
I'm a first-generation college graduate who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with blue-collar parents. My parents were very intelligent and educated, but didn't have the opportunity to go to college. I earned my chemical engineering degree from Penn State in 1989 through their cooperative education program, the first year they did it, and I worked at PPG Industries making paint to put myself through college. I joined Dow thinking I would work in manufacturing because I loved that environment, but they insisted I talk to their commercial people because I was 'technical and can talk.' I've been with Dow for 37 years now, making it through every layoff, merger, and acquisition including Union Carbide, Rohm and Haas, and Dow Corning. I'm Dow from day one, not someone who came in through acquisitions. I moved 8 times geographically in my first 16 years with the company, then settled in the Philly area for the past 21 years where I raised 2 kids who are now on their own. After 36 years in plastics, I moved last September to become the key account executive for Sherwin-Williams, one of Dow's largest accounts. I'm also a recruiter at Penn State, a role I've held since 2000 for 26 years now, bringing top talent to Dow. I love this company and live and die by the Dow Diamond. I'm at the end of my career now, handing off my torch to the young people I mentor. My next job is retirement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with SuAnne
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
We women need to continue to reach out to our sisters, our sisterhood, and lift people up. No one should be going for the next job to the detriment of putting somebody else under them or kicking them under the bus. That should not be happening, but it happens all the time. I learned early in my career at PPG Industries that women were not our friends - it was a horrible environment and experience. But at Dow, we pull people up. We support women. I've always been that woman to help women, and I scream it from the mountaintop. I want young people to be successful whether they come to Dow or not. I mentor, I volunteer for STEM stuff and robotics, I work with kids starting in middle school to lift people up and make them feel like part of a family.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
We really need people to go back to thinking about trade schools. Thirty years ago, my generation had to go to college or you were going to do nothing. Now, 30 years later, we don't want people to go to college right now - we want them to go to trade schools because AI is taking over. When our pipes burst and our power goes out, who are the plumbers and electricians? We need the top talent to keep coming to companies like Dow. I recruit at Penn State and we recruit from all the top schools like Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, and Michigan. We need young people to keep the torch going - I'm handing off my torch at the end of my career, and we need them to continue what we've built.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being part of a family company and showcasing that is incredibly important to me. I love Dow and live and die by the Dow Diamond - it's been an amazing experience for 37 years. What's most rewarding to me is being the front line for the company, bringing top talent in, and mentoring all these young people who have to keep the torch going. I want to lift people up and make them feel like part of a family, whether they come to Dow or not. I've been a mentor, a champion, and a fierce fighter throughout my career. I believe we need to support each other as women and pull people up, not put them down. I work with everyone from middle school kids in STEM and robotics programs all the way through recruiting at Penn State, because I want the next generation to be successful and continue what we've built.
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